Trust backs findings on trail benefits

The Queenstown Trail Trust says it backs national
findings which show cycle trails boost economic activity and
encourage more visitors to trail regions.

Chief executive Mandy Kennedy said it was great to hear such
positive results from the New Zealand Cycle Trail (NZCT),
which reported visitors to four of the country's trails,
including Queenstown, were staying one to three nights and
spending between $131 and $176 per person per day.

Overall, about one-quarter of businesses surveyed believed
the trails had been good for their business, and about half
believed it would be in the future.

A total of 98% of users said they were either ''very
satisfied'' or ''satisfied'' with their cycle trail
experience and 97% of trail users said they were likely to
recommend the trail to others.

The evaluation report was commissioned by the Ministry of
Business, Innovation and Employment and showed although the
trails were still new, they were making good progress in
terms of job creation and contribution to the economy, NZCT
chairman Richard Leggat said.

Interviews with trail managers, surveys of business owners
and trail users, and four cycle trails were evaluated.

The case studies looked at a range of cycle trails, including
remote trails and popular day-trip and urban destinations -
the Mountains to Sea Trail in Manawatu, the Hauraki Trail in
Waikato, the Motu Trail on the East Coast and the Queenstown
Trail.

Mrs Kennedy said the Queenstown Trail attracted a wide
variety of Wakatipu users - ''not just cyclists, from little
ones learning to ride their bikes and the more mature
cyclist, but also walkers and families.

''I was out there on Park St round to Kelvin Heights late on
Friday afternoon and it was really interesting to see the
number of tourists on both bikes and on foot, which is
wonderful, because that was the plan.''